Kate Reed and controversy seem to go hand in hand
And again, UK Athletics' fumbling, bumbling and mismanagement rise to the surface with an athlete bringing the sport into disrepute.
The mere fact that the ludicrous happenings which took place during the Olympics with 10000m representative, Reed, and UK Athletics, being allowed to go public is total mismanagement as well as journalists looking for something to stir the pot and nothing serves better than gripe when it comes to the British media.
Put this on a plate and serve it warm to the public and we have a feast fit for scoundrels and a garbage press.
This episode will do the sport no favours and the handling of Dwain Chambers over the last year and the press brought about a scenario where Chambers was accused of bringing the sport into disrepute and now we have another situation and on each occasion there is one central figure that seems to be same. Therein lies the problem, which with a little bit of introspection and the way they handle their affairs needs to be questioned.
It is reported that the athlete Kate Reed was tested on no less than six occasions in 10 days in her build-up to the Olympic Games. Why you would ask? And it is due to what the athlete had allegedly said in conversation.
We know the athlete, a number of the running public know the athlete and her behaviour, yet it seems the persons who have the athlete representing her country, don't know the athlete and her personality at all.
The bottom line? What is the bottom line? Well, what's for dessert?
Part of The BBC report
The sport's governing body said Reed had an injury and had "intimated to at least two members of staff that she may take morphine to kill the pain."
But Reed, 25, told BBC Radio Bristol her comments had been misintepreted.
"I think I said words along the line of 'could you give me some morphine, perhaps that's the best thing. I could do with floating around the track'," said the Clevedon athlete.
"I never ever claimed that I was carrying morphine and the conversation in which it took place was a light-hearted one and it was quite harmless.
"If they have an issue I expect it to be addressed immediately and they should have immediately asked me about it. I said it in jest and assumed it was taken in jest but clearly it wasn't.
"I would never take a banned substance and was subject to six drugs tests in 10 days leading up to the Olympic Games."
Reed's accommodation was searched by British Olympic Association officials and she added: "I fully endorse the search and was quite happy to go along with it. It took two hours and the BOA staff found absolutely nothing.
"They reported back to UKA that they had found nothing but they then said they wanted to do another search which lasted another hour. At that point I felt I was being unfairly treated."
